Wireless communications systems often include a plurality of access points (APs) and/or other network elements in addition to access terminals, e.g., mobile or other end node devices. In many cases access terminals normally communicate with access points via wireless communications links while other elements in the network, e.g., APs, generally communicate via non-air links, e.g., fiber, cable or wire links. In the case of an airlink, bandwidth is a valuable constrained resource. Accordingly, it is desirable that communication over the airlink be performed in an efficient manner without excessive overhead.
Communications links between access points and/or other network devices are often less constrained from a bandwidth perspective than are air links between access terminals and access points. Accordingly, more overhead in terms of address length and/or other information may be acceptable over backhaul links than over an airlink.
While IP (Internet Protocol) addresses have been used successfully in networks for many years, they tend to include a fair number of bits. For communications over airlinks, it would be desirable if shorter addresses could be used over the airlink. However, it would be desirable that any changes to addresses used over the airlink not preclude the use of IP addresses over other links, e.g., backhaul links.